A fire ball rises as the Israeli air force carries out a raid over Gaza City Saturday. / Majdi Fathi, Getty Images

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) - The White House says it believes Israel "has the right to defend itself" against attack and that the Israelis will make their own decisions about their "military tactics and operations."

A top aide to President Obama tells reporters traveling with the president to Asia on Air Force One that the U.S. and Israel both want an end to the rocket fire that's coming from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel launched the offensive on Wednesday by assassinating Hamas' military commander, but Rhodes said the U.S. believes "the precipitating factor for the conflict was the rocket fire coming out of Gaza. We believe Israel has a right to defend itself, and they'll make their own decisions about the tactics they use in that regard."

He added, "These rockets have been fired into Israeli civilian areas and territory for some time now. So Israelis have endured far too much of a threat from these rockets for far too long, and that is what led the Israelis to take the action that they did in Gaza."

The Israeli government has called up thousands of reservists and massed troops, tanks and other armored vehicles along the border with Gaza, signaling a ground invasion could be imminent.

Obama has spoken with President Mohammed Morsi of Egypt and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey about the situation.

"They have the ability to play a constructive role in engaging Hamas and encouraging a process of de-escalation," Rhodes said.

Israel on Saturday hit Gaza with roughly 300 airstrikes, expanding an aerial assault to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.

"We wouldn't comment on specific targeting choices by the Israelis other than to say that we of course always underscore the importance of avoiding civilian casualties," Rhodes said. "But the Israelis again will make judgments about their military operations."

Forty-two Palestinians, including 13 civilians, and three Israelis have been killed in this past week's fighting.

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